The Pupil Premium is an allocation of additional funding provided to schools to support specific groups of children who are vulnerable to possible underachievement. These include pupils who are entitled to free school meals (FSM - allocated to pupils who have been registered for free school meals at any point in the last six years, known as ‘Ever 6 FSM’) Looked After Children (LAC) and Armed Forces Services Children (FC) .
The government believes that the pupil premium, which is additional to main school funding, is the best way to address the current underlying inequalities between children eligible and their peers by ensuring that funding to tackle disadvantage reaches the pupils who need it most. Schools have the freedom to spend the Pupil Premium in a way they believe will best support the raising of attainment and help overcome barriers to learning for the most vulnerable pupils.